Applying the Theory of Gamification to Enhance Agent Engagement
The key to having high-value employees, according to many industry experts, is properly utilizing the theory of gamification. But how what exactly is gamification?
The Theory of Gamification at Work
Simply put, gamification is the idea that the more engaged your employees are the more valuable they become to the organization. The how and the why of it make sense if you consider that active engagement in interoffice activities and events leads to better relationships in the office. These social relationships and friendly competitions make for happier employees who will do better work.
Now that doesn’t mean you want your employees spending all day chatting and not getting anything done, but having a positive and fun work environment leads to less stress for your employees and higher productivity. So how do you use the theory of gamification to improve agent engagement?
In a survey, Bunchball discovered that there are still some misconceptions about what’s needed to implement gamification in the office. Of those surveyed, 29% cited identifying the right motivation strategy as their biggest barrier to gamification, and 32% cited expertise and experience to implement it. (You can find the full results of Bunchball’s survey here.)
Let’s take a closer look at these two barriers and see how they can be broken down and applied to your business.
Identifying a Motivation Strategy
When it comes to getting to know your employees and what motivates them, you have the ultimate tool right in front of you: your employees. The only thing you need, aside from them, is big data to let you know exactly what motivation strategies work best with your employees. The key here is to implement new ideas and then track how well the agents perform using reliable and measurable KPIs for a set amount of time.
One thing you’ll likely notice right off the bat is that short-term contests only have short-term results, and having multiple contests is likely to only motivate a few for the simple reason that only the winner is rewarded instead of the whole team.
Bunchball suggests using a gamification method that not only empowers managers with usable data but also continually engages employees. The key is to make each employee feel valuable by keeping them actively engaged in meeting team goals.
Expertise and Experience in Gamification
When your business’ biggest goal is to increase customer satisfaction, you need some experience in applying the theory of gamification in order to get the needle moving. But employee engagement is about more than just finding a good motivational tool. Many employees would remain engaged if they simply had the right tools to make their day easier and more enjoyable. And that’s something that we at DialConnection have expertise and experience in.
Having an integrated call center solution can save your agents time and frustration. When the tools you have to work with work well, the day seems to go by faster and employees are more engaged with each of their customers.
To learn more about how technology can help boost your employee engagement, take a look at the list of implementation and support services offered by DialConnection.
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